World & Map-Based Geography — Countries, Straits, Passes, Features in News

What should you study in World & Map-Based Geography?

• Countries in news — locations on map
• Straits in news — Hormuz, Malacca, Bab-el-Mandeb
• Passes — strategic Himalayan passes
• Geographical features — lakes, mountains, rivers in news

How often is World & Map-Based Geography asked in UPSC Prelims?

Asked in 6 of 10 years, including 5 of the last 5. Highlighted years below are the ones it appeared in.

1. 2016: not asked
2. 2017: not asked
3. 2018: not asked
4. 2019: not asked
5. 2020: asked
6. 2021: asked
7. 2022: asked
8. 2023: asked
9. 2024: asked
10. 2025: asked

About the Prelims GS Paper I paper

General Studies Paper I is the Prelims paper that decides the cut-off: 100 multiple-choice questions for 200 marks, with negative marking for wrong answers. See all 88 Prelims GS Paper I topics.

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